Lifting sling for containers



Aug. 14, 1934. HLDES 1,969,788

LIFTING SLING FOR CONTAINERS Filed July 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES: F I INVENTOR:

' i 'raiarioir 717 720245 TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STA 's ZPAT TJ-Q tir'rr-nestme FOR CONTAINERS Frederick K Fildes, Altoona, Pa. I Applicationiuly 28, 1933, Serial No. 632,635

' 4 Claims. (o1. sar -c7) This. invention relates to apparatus for transferring and handling shipping containers or the like, and more specifically to lifting slings for this purpose which are controlled byanoperat'o'i' standing on the ground alongside thebody to be lifted.

Railway shipping containers are customarily disposed in rows on the floor of a freight carjand to position them properly requires a hoisting 1e apparatus having provision for raising, lowering and shifting a container in a truly vertical position, square with respect to the container seats on the flooor of the car. To accomplish this, slings have been developed with load engaging means at the four corners, and the containers have been equipped with suspension hooks or. like devices at their top corners r With certain of the lifting slings heretofore used, it is necessary that a workman ride the 0 sling and make the coupling adjustments from the top of the container, and this isa hazardous time-consuming operation. Other-lifting slings in ,which the coupling with containers is effected automatically are characterized by elaborate. and

expensive construction.

Accordingly the principalobject of my invention is to provide a lifting sling of extremely simple and economicalconstruction which may be coupled to the container to be transferred with out the services of a man at. the top. of the coin tainer. .r

A further object of the invention is to pro' vide a lifting sling which may be operated from a position alongside the container at either side thereof, or at either side of the car upon which it is seated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which follows, having reference to the accompanying drawings, whereof:

Fig. I is a side view of hoisting apparatus including a lifting sling of my invention shown in engagement with a container which is diagrammatically indicated.

Fig. II is a view similar to the preceding figure with the container seated and the lifting sling being lowered over the same.

Fig. III is an end view of the lifting sling; and,

Fig. IV is a plan view of the lifting sling.

As an example of the application of a lifting sling of my invention to container transfer apparatus, there is shown in the drawings a rigid overhead beam 35 overhanging a railway track 3. On the railway track 3, a car 4 is represented with acontainer 5 raised thereabove. The-container 5 is provided at its four top corners with outwardly directed lifting hooks 36 and with in clined guidesurfaces 34'leadin'g' to the lifting hooks." I '1 The beams 35 are spaced in parallelrelationat a distance apart corresponding" substantially to the center to center distance between the pair 'of lifting hooks 36 at each side of the container 5. Supported on-the base flange of each beam 35 there is a trolley 37." The two trolleys-37 are interconnected by atuhular casing 38 which houses at each end 39 suitable hoisting gear for elevating containers. The hoisting gear at one 7 end is connected to the hoisting gear at the other 79 end by a shaft which extends through-thetubular casing 38. To operate the hoisting gear, there is provided an external sheave'40 with an operat.- ing chain 41- hanging down therefrom to within reach 'ofa man standing alongside the'c'ont-ainer.

The lifting coupler is comprehensively designated at 2 and is suspended from the hoisting apparatus -by meansof chains 46. The lifting coupler'is characterized by a pair of stirrup suse pension arms 42, '43 pivota llyconnected at their ends by ashaft 44 and maintained in' angular spread position with capacity for limited rela'-' tive movement. The shaft 44 passes through and is supported at its end by spaced yokes '45 which are linked to the hoisting chains 46 ,one to each hoist. 'I'hestirrup suspension arms 42, 43 fare of substantially U-shaped formation and their ends are accommodated within the yokes 45. Associated with each stirrup arm. 42,143 there is an operating rod'42a, 43a, constituting an extension of oneend of the arm, each'operating rod 42a, 43a, being on the opposite side of the shaft 44 from the suspension arm 42, 43 of which it is a part. The outer hook' engaging portion or heel 47 of each suspension arm 42, 43 includes a straight bar which is adapted to 'engage a pair of hooks on one side of the container 5. At the end of each operating rod 42a, 43a, there is an eye 48 through which passes a control 4 line 49, in the form of a flexible cable. Each m control line 49 passes through the eye 48 of one operating rod 42a, 43a, and leads to the heel 47 of the other suspension arm. Stops 50 in the control lines 49, of a size too large to pass through the eyes 48, hold the suspension arms 42, 43 in spread position when they are not engaged with the container; At their ends the control lines 49 terminate in weighted handles 51 which extend downwardly within the reach of a man standing alongside the container 5. The stops serve to limit the closure of the suspension arms 42, 43.

In the event that it is desired to remove a container 5 from the railway car 4, the operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: The lifting sling 2 is positioned immediately over the container to be engaged. The operator standing besides the car 4, or on its platform, manipulates ..the, control line.49 to spread the arms 42, 43 preparatory to engaging the hooks 36 on the container. With the suspension arms 42, 43 spread apart to the position shown in Fig. II, the sling is lowered by operation of the hand chain 41 of the hoisting mechanism to the point where the heels 4970f the arms 42, 43 contact with the guide surfaces. 34 at the top of the container adjacent to the hooks 36. 'Conveniently, the operator accomplishes the above movements by holding the handle 51 of the control line 49 with one hand, while working the hand chain=-41 of;the hoisting apparatuswith the other hand Afterthe lifting sling 2 has been thus lowered -;to;the topof the container, the operator releases his grip upon the handle 51. Incident to the hoisting of the lifting sling, the heels 4'lof the-arms 4243 will be guided into t i 0f th ,hQOk a th c u sl l bepompleted in the manner shown in-Fig,Il

In uncouplingthelifting sling 2 from a container, the operation is asffollows: When the container is; lowered bythe hoisting apparatus to-the platformtowhieh it has been transferred,

the operator continues to pay outthe chains 46 of lth hoisting apparatus until the lifting sling, under the influenceof its own weight, is caused to spread its arms 42, 43 clear ofthe hooks 36 of' 'the container. With this accomplished, the

handle 51 of the control line 49 isgrasped, and

thearms are thusheld in spread position while the operatqr with the other hand, manipulates 'the hand chain 41 of the hoisting mechanism to raise the lifting sling. I I o g 1,.While I have chosen to describe my invention in" its vapplication to containers having lifting hooksj attached to thetop thereof, the invention is also. useful where the lifting, sling and the containers are" provided with other forms of mutualfengaging. devices. Moreover, though in the preferred'ernbodiment of my inventionI employ t'vvooperating rods 42a, 43a and control lines 49 depending, at'each sideofwthecontainer, it will be, apparent that the use ofgone operating rod and one control line is also contemplated.

'While my invention has beendescribed in some detail with reference to one example of the practic'e thereof, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form of the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A lifting sling for containers comprising stirrup suspension arms pivotally connected to each other at their ends and maintained in angular spread position with capacity for limited relative movement, an extension rod leading from the end of one such arm to a point above the heel'of the other arm, and means for controlling the'spread of said arms in the form of a flexible cable extending upward over the end of the extension rod and downward to the heel of the, adjacent arm, and fastened thereto.

2. A lifting sling for containers comprising spaced *yokes suspended from a hoisting apparatus, a shaftsupported by said yokes, U-shaped suspension arms having their ends pivotally connected to said shaft within said yokes, and maintained in angular spread position with capacity for limited relative movement, ,aniextension rod leading from the end of one's'uohjarm to a point abovethe heel of 'the other arm, fand means for controlling the spread of said arms in the form of a flexible cableextending upward over the end of the extension. rod anddownward to the heel of'the adjacent'arm and fastened thereto.

Y 3. A lifting "sling for containers comprising stirrup suspension-arms pivotally connected to each otherat'their ends and maintained in angular spread position withfcapacityfor limited relative movement,f'an*extension rod leading from the end of each such arm to a' point above the heel of the'other-army' and means for controlling -the' spread of *saidarms' in'the form of flexible cables, eachextending upward over the end of one of said extension rods and downward to the heel ofjthe adjacent arm and fastened thereto.

4."A' lifting sling f or' containers comprising stirrup suspension arms pivotally connected to eachother at their "ends "and maintained in angular spread position with capacity for'limited relative movement,*-an -"extension rod leading from the end of one sucharm to a point above 

